Member & Advisor

Verena is driven by the mission to make the world a more just, environmentally sustainable, and compassionate place not only for her children Josephine and Samuel, but for all living beings everywhere. As a former physician, she was frustrated by the limited effect she had on the wellbeing of her patients who had been made sick by systemic issues. Instead, she became interested in learning more about interventions that would provide everyone with an equal opportunity to thrive. Now a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Verena’s research revolves around the question of how academics can more effectively create change on a policy level, particularly with regards to the existential and intergenerational crisis that is climate change. The combination of her professional and academic training has taught her to look at the big picture and think and strategize on a systems-level – an ability that Verena leverages in her work as an advisor to environmental organizations with regards to their impact and knowledge-to-action strategies.